Age 2 Diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Retinoblastoma

     Born May 7, 2020, in Kingston, Jamaica. Carlene was diagnosed with retinoblastoma at 5 months old on October 5, 2020, and confirmed diagnosis at the University of the West Indies. After completing 5 months of holistic treatment, Carlene was evaluated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC and received an "all clear" MRI.

     Unfortunately, Carlene had a relapse in March 2022, and treatment options in Jamaica were not sufficient to manage the severity of her disease. We exhausted the entirety of our savings to bring her back to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. Our initial status with MSKCC was direct pay and we made a deposit of $35,000 USD for her to begin treatment. In addition, to medical expenses, living expenses and transportation have been an enormous financial burden.

    Since beginning treatment on May 2, 2022, Carlene has had surgery to remove the large tumor behind the eye as well as her left eye itself. She has completed 5 months of chemotherapy and just recently completed a 31-day hospital stay for a bone marrow transplant. She is now on 100 days of isolation while she grows new bone marrow and rebuilds her immune system. She will have weekly checkups to monitor her progress and asses any cancer activity.

     Carlene has not seen her siblings or father since May. She is currently in NYC with her mother and a newborn sister. She would love to be reunited with her family by having them join her in NYC on this journey because we are unsure when we will get clearance to return to Jamaica. Carlene's father is currently awaiting the issuance of an emergency medical visa to that he may have the ability to see Carlene again and meet his new daughter.

     All donations to Carlene's campaign will be used for medical, living, and transportation expenses as maintaining a life in New York City has been a difficult task.